6 Daily Habits That Will Make Leaders an Overnight Success in 2017

I recently wrote about the alarming research that’s keeping CEOs up at night. The gist of this “nightmare” concludes that global organizations just don’t have the people in the pipeline to lead well in the future.

In fact, no more than half of front-line managers who participated in simulated surveys actually displayed the proper soft-skills for effective interaction with people that leads to business outcomes.

Couple that with Gallup’s research that indicates nearly 70 percent of U.S. workers have been either “not engaged” or “actively disengaged” since 2000, and Houston, we have a problem.

Looking ahead, organizations will have to rethink where they spend their money, and refocus their strategy to improve their existing leadership development efforts in order to minimize the risks brought on by unprepared leaders.

More specifically, through our own observations and client data, we have noted certain dysfunctional behaviors that don’t lend to healthy and thriving organizational cultures in the current economy.

In 2017, leaders will have to…

1. Stop squashing the talents and strengths of their people.

Not recognizing their unique strengths and talents beyond a job description, and how that translates to high performance, is certainly an engagement killer. People love to use their unique gifts. Leaders of the future will have to leverage close relationships with employees by finding out what their strengths are, and bringing out the best in their employees.

2. Stop hoarding information.

Here’s the real reason leaders hoard and withhold information: it’s about power and control. And control is one of the most effective ways to kill trust. A leader hoarding information to control his environment and the people in it cannot be trusted. Future leaders will have to responsibly share information and display personal and organizational transparency with their people.

3. Stop micro-managing.

Certain people in management roles operate this way because, again, it’s about power, and power is about control; don’t let them fool you by making you believe it’s to keep from things going bad, or because they want to ensure things are done “the right way” as the “experts.”

4. Stop making all the decisions.

If organizations want to keep the needle moving on employee satisfaction or engagement metrics, their first priority should be to give them decision-making privileges. Allow them a seat at the table to exercise influence over things that matter. Think of projects and important meetings about strategy to involve your people. Take a cue from global insurance company Acuity, rated one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For in Fortune magazine. It drives loyalty by regularly letting its employees (a large portion of them Millennials) decide to which charity organizations Acuity will donate its millions.

5. Stop taking your people for granted and treating them like they’re invisible.

Did you know that receiving recognition is the most important performance motivator? The companies in Gallup’s study with the highest engagement levels use recognition and praise as a powerful motivator to get their commitment. They found that employees who receive it on a regular basis increase their individual productivity, receive higher loyalty and satisfaction scores from customers, and are more likely to stay with their organization. How regular are we talking? Praise should be given once per week!

6. Stop being invisible yourself.

When leaders don’t spend “face time” with team members, that leader is sending a message that they don’t care about them. This may not be a reflection of character, but it’s what is coming across to team members.

Moving forward.

If you’re a leader, what do you need to do–or stop doing–to get out of these patterns that may be affecting your team’s morale or productivity? Eliminating many of these things as a leader will open up all kinds of doors for you and keep your best people from leaving you.

Start by looking within yourself first, having good self-awareness to define your present reality, and then figure out what leadership behaviors need to be learned and practiced. We’re here to help you in those efforts.